SKARDU, Nov 13: People with disabilities (PWDs) are part of our society and they should be given rights enjoyed by other segments.

These views were expressed by Raja Azam Khan, Minister of Planning and Development, Gilgit-Baltistan, while speaking at the launching ceremony of Community Based Inclusive Development Network (CBID) here on Tuesday.

The ceremony was organised by Civil Society Human and Institutional Development Programme (CHIP).

The minister Azam Khan observed that ‘we normally take pity on PWDs and don’t give them any work responsibilities and respect which make them feel useless members of the society.

He urged people not to take pity on PWDs, and instead assign them responsibilities like normal people of the society.

Raja Azam lauded the efforts of CHIP in rehabilitation of PWDs and bringing them at par with common people in the society.

Earlier, Akber Hussain, Chairman of the Karakorum Disability Forum (KDF), said they had formed a forum of disabled people in Baltistan in collaboration with CHIP, which was working for the development of PWDs.

He said, government officers, elected public representatives, social workers and all other resourceful persons could get honourary membership of KDF and can help PWDs.

On the occasion, the minister Raja Azam and Amna Ansari, member of the GB Legislative Assembly, announced to get honourary membership of the KDF and assured their full support to the forum.

Addressing the meeting, Shujaat Ali, coordinator of CHIP, apprised the participants of the activities of the organisation for rehabilitation of the disabled persons.